


Scared

by serenyty



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-11
Updated: 2013-05-11
Packaged: 2017-12-11 12:29:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/798732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenyty/pseuds/serenyty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha confronts Bruce after finding out some of his future plans.</p>
<p>From anonymous prompt on Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scared

Bruce Banner looked up from his suitcase when the door to his quarters in Avengers tower opened. Expecting it to be Tony to question him again about his choices and ask him to stay or Jane asking him for his opinion on what she was working on, Bruce was surprised to see it was Natasha Romanoff standing in his doorway. “Thought you were more subtle,” Bruce said, “shouldn't you have snuck in here and I wouldn't be the wiser?”

“Could if I wanted to,” Natasha simply replied. “And I thought you'd have more sense than this.” She held up the emailed receipt for Bruce's flight to Calcutta. One way. 

“Tony offered me use of his private plane, as did S.H.I.E.L.D, but I wanted a clean break. No sense in prolonging the inevitable,” Bruce shrugged.

“You can do so much good here...”

“For whom? S.H.I.E.L.D? Tony? I've spent too much time here. The other guy is getting easier to handle, but he's still here. I can never stop being a time bomb. I can be more secluded there, and really, what do I have here?”

Looking at Natasha, Bruce was shocked to see she looked disappointed. He and Natasha had struck up a bit of an unconventional friendship over the past few months. Late nights when Bruce was working in the labs and Natasha had just come back from a mission, they would share coffee; decaf, so that the caffeine wouldn't elevate Bruce's heart rate, but Nat never seemed to mind. 

Still, he had no idea that this meant something to her. He had grown to care for Natasha and valued what they had between them, but no matter how close he and Natasha had become, she kept some guard up. Tonight, it seemed like Natasha had let her guard down, the first time he had ever seen it. 

“You're just scared,” Natasha said simply, crossing her arms.

Bruce blinked. “Scared of what?”

“Scared of letting people in.”

Bruce laughed a hollow laugh. “You're one to talk.”

Natasha glared at him. “Admit it,” she growled. “You finally have people who know who you are, what you are, people who have seen the other guy, and here you are, running away.”

“I don't want to hurt anyone,” Bruce glared back. 

Natasha scoffed. “Stop acting like some martyr. You're getting better at controlling things. But now people are getting close and now you're scared. If you leave, you'll do more harm than good.”

Bruce was silent, so Natasha continued. “You've finally gotten support and now you're going to throw it all away. No one's afraid of you, Bruce.”

“Maybe they should be.”

Then Natasha saw it. Bruce's eyes had turned green, he was sweating and panting. “Easy Bruce,” she said, slowly. Swallowing hard, she sat down next to him and touched his arm. Bruce jerked, causing Natasha to jump back, but when she saw that he wasn't growing or turning green she leaned into him. “It's alright.” Bruce nodded, and stared at the floor, deep in concentration. He took a few slow breaths, and Natasha rubbed his arm slowly, watching him. Finally he looked up at her and she saw his eyes had returned to the normal shade and he appeared calmer. Natasha let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and smiled a soft smile at him. Bruce had to smile back; Natasha wasn't one to smile often, but when she did it was breathtaking. 

“Bruce,” Natasha broke the silence, “All of us have done awful things. I was raised to be a killer, to be ruthless. Sometimes I wonder if that's all I am. We have to get past that.”

Bruce rubbed his face with his hands. “I don't want to hurt anyone. Least of all you.”

Natasha looked attentive but didn't say anything. Bruce continued. “I know you're afraid of me, Nat. I saw your face back in Calcutta.” 

Natasha looked away. Taking a deep breath, she said “I was afraid. Not of you, the Hulk. I may not be a supersoldier or a Norse god, but superpower I do have is manipulation. The Hulk is one of the few things that seems to be completely immune.”

She touched his shoulder. “But, I trust you, Bruce. I don't trust many people, but I trust you.”

In that moment, Bruce was a little in love with Natasha Romanoff. The urge to run was still there, but he wanted to stay.


End file.
